Sick as a Cat
by GenericAnimeOtaku
Summary: When Koneko becomes sick after a fight with a rogue devil, Issei is tasked with taking care of her, much to both their displeasure. As her condition worsens however, Issei is forced to take matters into his own hands to try and help her. A cute Issei x Koneko one-shot, in which the two devils realize there's more to the other than meets the eye. Takes place early on in the series.
1. Introduction

Sup guys. I've been feeling like writing more lately and with the new season of HS DxD I decided why not? Haven't wrote in a while so I apologize beforehand if my writing sucks or if I didn't capture a character accurately. That said, this one-shot will be about Issei taking care of a sick Koneko (which if you couldn't tell, is my favorite pairing, although I like the other girls as well) at some point early on in the series. Hopefully you enjoy it, now on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, unfortunately

* * *

"Ooiiii Buchouuu! You look _great_ from here!" A rambunctious teen cheered at the delightful sight of his master's panties being in full view.

"... I-Issei!"

The devil in question, Issei Hyoudou grinned his trademark perverted grin while drooling at his master's voluptuous body.

"... what a lecherous face."

"Ara-ara Issei-kun, if you wanted a view, you should've just asked me!"

At those words, Issei's hands shot up to cover his overflowing nose bleed. A blond male beside him lightly chuckled at the display of indecency.

"Well... he is Issei-kun after all..."

The aforementioned teen paid no heed to any smart remarks thrown against him, instead he was practically shaking with delight. _Alrighttt! Backup to HD Memory Drive almost complete!_ He relished the thought lustfully.

"Issei! Could you help out a little instead of just standing there?" Rias yelled over the noise of falling rock. A wave of demonic energy left her hand, targeted at their common enemy followed closely by a shot of Akeno's lightning. The large tyrannosaur-like monster didn't waver in the slightest and only stormed its claws in protest, smashing through the walls like they were paper thin.

"One more minute Buchou!" Issei yelled back. A major grin split his face.

 _98... 99... 100%! Save complete!_

"Alright...! Boosted Gear!" In a flash, a red dragon-like gauntlet enveloped his left hand. A brilliant green gem radiated at its centre.

[Boost!]

Issei watched eagerly as his fellow club-members relentlessly attacked the transmogrified monster, its cries resounding into the night as it was hit by consecutive blows. First by a bone-crushing fist courtesy of Koneko and then a decisive slash by Kiba. The display of raw power filled him with uncontainable excitement! And then, there it was!

 _An opening!_

[Boost! Explosion!]

Issei leapt forward into the air, delivering a heavy blow against the creature's face that knocked it backwards against a wall, digging up shallow trenches underneath with its claws. To his surprise however, the creature seemed unfazed.

ROARR!

"No way! It's still standing after all these attacks!" He exclaimed after witnessing the creature brush off his attack like it was nothing. Kiba and Koneko landed beside him, staring down at the large being while awaiting their next orders.

"It's armour appears to be weakest around its underside, so that's where we'll strike next," Rias spoke authoritatively from above the group. "Kiba, capture its attention so that Koneko and Issei can knock it into the air. Akeno and I will handle the rest."

"Hai!" they all yelled simultaneously.

With their master's words in mind, each devil set off to accomplish their specific tasks. Kiba darted around the monstrosity with his godlike speed, utilizing his sword to cut wide gashes along the creature's scaly legs. A deafening roar reverberated throughout the rundown building as the monster began to chase after the flashy knight.

"Let's go! Koneko-chan!"

Issei slid into position behind one of the monster's inhumanly large hind legs just as Koneko arrived at the other. His fist clenched in anticipation.

"Boosted Gearrr!"

[Boost!]

The two combatants unanimously slid across the uneven terrain underneath the behemoth, each pulling back a fist to aim at the creature's sizeable underside. A thunderous crack was heard as the considerably weaker armour plating shattered like fractured glass against their combined fists. The forces of Rook and Pawn propelled the creature sky high in the process, raining debris down as the entire roof of the building collapsed outwards from the large body which just shot through it.

With the creature airborne and entirely exposed, it was time to execute the final part of her plan.

"Akeno!"

"Hai, Buchou!"

A brilliant red and yellow light lit up the darkening skies. The two beauties' combined attacks split through the air and made contact with the beast, manifesting a cloud of smoke and debris on impact. A horrifying bellow came from the monster as it was shot back down to earth, kicking up a huge dust storm which all but encompassed the building. Not a sound was heard after that.

"Sugoi! Buchou is amazing as always!" Issei proclaimed after the group met back up on the ground. Akeno and Kiba laughed while Rias let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Honestly Issei, that stray devil could've been handled much more efficiently if you didn't spend ten minutes admiring our bodies." She huffed helplessly at him and placed her hands on her hips.

"... Issei-senpai can't stop his perverted fantasies." Koneko mocked monotonously causing Issei to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Ahh Koneko-chan! Why are you always so mean to meeee!" He cried out dramatically.

"... It's the truth."

Issei wallowed silently in self-pity, before soon after returning to his normal self. A glint of excitement shone in his eyes.

"So, are we going back now? Asia probably finished her job by now and I'm getting really hungry." He said just before his stomach grumbled loudly, drawing strange looks from all who were present. "What? I haven't eaten anything yet…"

"Don't worry Issei-kun, we can go out for dinner if you'd like," Kiba offered chivalrously.

"Like _Hell_ we will!" Issei retorted suddenly breaking into a mad dash away from the smiling knight.

An unexpected tremor caught him off guard however, twisting his foot and causing him to fall forward. His hands instinctively shot outwards to grasp onto something for support, which, unfortunately in this case, was his equally surprised junior class member. His eyes shut tight and, upon opening them back up, he was met with a complete and absolute darkness. That wasn't what his attention was on however…

"Oh my~..."

"Uhh… Issei-kun…"

The hesitant voices of his friends caused him to curiously wonder what he could've done.

 _Wait, why didn't it hurt when I fell? And why is it so hard to breathe.. and what is this... nice smell? No way... could this be..._ Peering ever so slightly upwards, his eyes widened as they locked onto shocked hazel eyes. _It is! Koneko-chan's chest! And… my hand… hehe i-it's on her breast too! I've never been this up close before, but wow! It's just as flat as I thought it would be!_

Issei's face became red and perverted again as drool began to form at the corners of his mouth. He truly appeared as though he were dreaming at that moment.

Koneko, on the other hand, was rightly furious. Suffice to say, she was absolutely livid with him. Never had he so much as touched her before then, and now he was practically groping her outright!

Furiously, she launched a fist at the prepubescent teen, hurling him backwards and away from her as his bloody nose left a trail behind him. Her expression had contorted into one of pure disgust and anger as she used her hands to cover herself.

Her flustered eyes narrowed at his still fantasizing grin, "...P-Pervert!"

The members of house Gremory sweatdropped at this.

The ground lurched again as the quaking returned, causing all devils to turn to its unidentifiable source inside the ruined building. A thin veil of smoke shrouded what was occurring on the interior, until a greenish projectile suddenly blasted up into the sky drawing confused looks from all who saw it.

"What was that?" Kiba inquired, resuming a fighting stance "could it be that the stray devil wasn't fully sealed?"

His answer soon came in the form of a large gastric stone hurtling down towards them.

"Is that… a part of its body?" Akeno narrowed her eyes.

The stone-like object produced a whistling sound as it fell. All eyes locked onto it as it impacted the ground, inducing a miniature earthquake and unexpectedly rupturing into millions of tiny fragments. The gooey-like shards rebounded back into the air, raining down on the group of surprised devils.

"Everybody run!"

Koneko's eyes widened as she, being the closest one to the impact site, was near instantly showered in a multitude of the sticky green fragments. Wasting no time, she along with the others immediately revealed their devil wings and flew up, above and away from the chaotic scene.

"Koneko-chan are you okay?" Rias asked, concern evident in her eyes as she held a knocked out Issei. Everyone turned towards the younger devil in still trepidation, unsure of whether the substance was lethal or not.

Koneko gently prodded at the gooey substance, which surprisingly wasn't eating at her clothes unlike other similar situations. It made her feel colder, as if it were seeping through her clothes and making direct contact with her skin. All in all however, nothing was out of the ordinary despite the fact that it came straight from a mutated stray devil's stomach. It was pretty disgusting though.

After checking herself over and ensuring nothing was wrong, the youngest devil replied, "... h-hai, nothing s-seems to be wrong," _though it does feel a lot colder all of a sudden..._ She thought and replied truthfully. A collective of sighs followed.

"Ne Koneko-chan, are you sure you're alright? That was your first time being groped by Issei-kun after all," Akeno teased causing Koneko to go red-faced.

Rias rolled her eyes at her queen's troublesome antics, "well, as long as she's alright," she spoke the thoughts of everyone present. "We'll have Asia check again to see if anything's wrong later just to be safe. Now, let's get back to the school."

"Hai, Buchou!"

Though she acted as if nothing was wrong, on the way back, Koneko couldn't help but get the nagging feeling that something was amiss. A foreboding feeling that wouldn't go away. Perhaps it was just her heightened senses being overcautious again, or the shock and embarrassment of having a perverted devil face-plant into her chest, but regardless of the cause, she just couldn't quite get the feeling out of her mind.


	2. Sick as a Cat

Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, unfortunately

* * *

"Ahhh... Koneko-chan's punches sure do hurt..." Issei grumbled as he sat in the club room the next day. An ice pack was propped against his head serving as an unfortunate reminder of the previous night's events. Asia sat beside him, a sheepish smile adorned on her face, happily using her Twilight Healing to ease the other's pain.

"Issei-san, you know Koneko-chan doesn't like lecherous acts, especially when it's done on her," the blonde former-nun said soothingly. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit when she recalled what Rias had told her about what Issei did.

The older teen mumbled glumly, "...and I was only 55% finished saving it to my HD memory drive too..." he sighed.

The door quietly creaked open causing both devils to turn towards it. Issei held his breath, expecting his junior to appear in the doorway and berate him even more for his indecency, but was pleasantly relieved when he noticed it was Rias.

"Good morning Issei, Asia," the Gremory heir greeted kindly upon seeing her two faithful servants. "Still hurting from Koneko-chan?" She noted.

"Good morning, Buchou!" both devils replied. Issei rubbed his head in embarrassment, "yeah, I didn't realize she was that strong... Asia is helping but it still feels like my head was hit by a truck," he mumbled in annoyance, "it wasn't even my fault it happened anyway..."

Rias took a seat behind her desk and regarded her servants in silent thought. "Accidents happen, but maybe she thinks you fell on her on purpose," she noted much to Issei's dismay, "she was acting a bit odd when she left yesterday."

Issei laid his head backwards after Asia had to take a break. "...I already apologized to her during school too, but I don't think she forgives me yet. I went up to her to try and talk to her but she acted like I wasn't even there." He stated, recalling an earlier encounter he had with the cat girl. Koneko hadn't even bothered to look at him, much less acknowledge that he was talking to her.

"Just give her some time, knowing her, she'll be back to normal.. eventually," Rias said causing Issei to let out another large sigh. "Anyway, Kiba and Akeno have already gone out and I'm going to a meeting with the Student Council President. Issei is recovering and I haven't seen Koneko-chan yet today," she stated matter of factually before moving to stand right in front of her two newest devils, "so, Asia, since you're the only one that's available right now, I'm going to need you to do a few errands for me."

Asia lit up characteristically, "h-hai, Buchou!" she exclaimed, standing up rather suddenly.

Rias gave the younger devil a list of groceries as well as other tasks to do. Issei just sweat dropped at the sight.

 _Never thought I'd see anyone get excited over chores… well, she is Asia so I guess it makes sense._ He murmured to himself at the girl's over enthusiastic attitude to do just about anything. _And there goes her healing powers too…_ He watched wistfully as Asia and her magical healing hands left the room. Already he could feel the headache returning to him. That, however, was soon pushed aside as another more nicer and familiar presence made itself known by his side.

"Ne, Issei," Rias began, seductively cooing into the male's ear who's face instantly turned a shade of red comparable to the former's hair. "We haven't had any alone time in a while, and I have a few minutes to spare until I have to leave..." The Gremory heir coupled her hands with her servant's shoulders, easing him back into her embrace.

Issei's mouth quivered in excitement at this rare opportunity. His eyes roamed dreamily onto the redhead, and then onto her breasts. Both excited him so much so that smoke began to appear from his nostrils.

 _Time alone with Buchou?! Could this be... is this my reward for being wrongly attacked by a violent loli?! Ooooohhh! Buchou's breasts! They're so close!_

Rias inched closer to him, now almost touching foreheads with her Pawn. Issei noticed how close together their lips were, causing his face to grow hotter with every second that passed.

"... so, how about we-"

...CREAK...

Rias and Issei both froze at the sound of a door being opened. Seeing as they weren't expecting any visitors and everyone had already been accounted for except for one, there was only that one person it could've been. Their heads slowly turned to the side to face the doorway, where they saw Koneko expressionlessly staring back at the them. An awkward silence ensued.

"... lecherous," Koneko muttered with a twitch of her eye. The younger devil slowly walked over to a chair in the corner and quietly continued eating the sweets in her hands. All whilst glaring at the heartbroken Issei.

 _NOOOO! My alone time with Buchou... stolen when it was so close! Damn you Koneko-chan! Damn you and your hatred of lewdity!_

"Eheh... well," Rias cleared her throat before standing back up and allowing Issei to mourn his loss, "I still have a few minutes to spare before I leave..." she added in an attempt to make the atmosphere less solemn, or at the very least get the two to talk to her if not each other. Issei looked pleadingly at her, motioning his hands towards the smaller figure behind him whom he really didn't want to be left alone with.

Rias sighed, "Koneko-chan," she started, gaining the attention of the younger devil, "are you still mad at Issei?" She decided to cut straight to the chase. Being the master of her servants, it was only natural for her to lead them on the right path, which included resolving any conflict amongst her peerage. She folded her arms as she looked expectantly at the cat-like devil to reply.

Koneko looked away from both of them.

"... yes."

 _Of course she is!_ Issei thought while running a hand through his hair fretfully, _If she didn't like me before, she probably hates me now!_

"I see, but you do know he didn't mean to do that, right?"

"... doesn't matter.'

Issei's soul crushed in defeat.

 _I'm doomed!_ he thought, imagining all the scenes of the shorter devil beating him up once Rias left.

Rias simply sighed at the two's inability to get along, "come on you two, I don't want any of my precious servants fighting each other," she said calmly to try and ease the situation, "Issei, do you agree not to fight with Koneko-chan?"

"H-hai, Buchou."

"And Koneko-chan, do you agree not to fight with Issei?"

"...hai."

Feeling somewhat satisfied with their answers, Rias sighed and sat back down beside Issei. "Honestly, dealing with you two sometimes..." she shook her head.

Issei put on a fake grin to try and lighten up his already anxious master, "don't worry Buchou! Koneko-chan and I will be the best of friends while you're out! Right, Koneko-chan?"

"..."

 _Ne, it was worth a shot..._ Issei thought, turning his head so he could see her in the corner of his eye. Koneko however seemed to be staring at the floor. His eyes narrowed at her. _That's weird, is she…_ "Ehh... Koneko-chan?"

THUD!

Issei and Rias both jumped at the sudden crash, instantly turning around with wide eyes at what they saw.

"Koneko-chan!"

The younger devil had collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Rias was the first to reach her servant and instantly noticed the harsher breathes she took.

"Issei! Help me bring her to the couch!" Rias commanded the teen who quickly did as he was told.

"Oi what's wrong with her? Did something happen? Is she gonna be alright?" Issei asked seriously upon seeing Koneko's anguished expression.

Rias remained level headed. She quickly checked over the younger girl for an explanation. "Her body's cold..." She muttered.

The tense atmosphere around them was broken as Koneko experienced an abrupt coughing fit. Her chest heaved taking in large gulps of air that served only to heighten her pain-stricken face. Even though they weren't currently on the best of terms, Issei felt sorry for the girl.

"I think... it's possible she has a fever."

"Fever?" Issei repeated curiously, "I didn't know devils got fevers too."

"They're rarer to us than to humans but are still definitely possible," Rias narrowed her eyes in focus, searching for any other symptoms she may have missed. "Usually devils don't get infected because of our more powerful immune systems, unless a greater amount of the virus is presented... hmm, could it be...?"

"Well, what do we do?! She's gonna be alright, right?" Issei asked somewhat impatiently, much to Rias' annoyance.

With one last once over, Rias nodded. "Yes, she's going to be fine, all she needs is a bit of rest for now," she paused, "when a devil gets sick, the effects are similar to its human variant, but some are opposites. For one, a devil's body becomes colder when they're sick, not warmer, which seems to be the main concern in this case. As long as her body temperature is regulated back up and nothing else happens, she should be able to recover."

It was true, Issei noted, how Koneko's face seemed much paler now than usual. He sighed. Despite what she did yesterday, he still nonetheless felt relieved that she would be fine. "Well that's a relief, as long as she's okay."

Rias smiled at her servant's innate caring nature, which extended even to someone such as Koneko who practically despised his very existence. A devious thought suddenly formed in her head, one which a human would call "killing two birds with one stone."

"Well then, since that makes you feel better" she said, "I'll make you in charge of taking care of Koneko-chan for the day."

Issei's jaw dropped in disbelief.

 _No way! Do I seriously get to take care of her?_ His eyes lit up at the prospect. _The school mascot Koneko-chan! I'll be the envy of all the school's male students! Matsuda and Motohama won't even believe this if I tell them it!_ He thought gleefully, all prior thoughts he had about getting into a dispute with the girl having departed his perverted mind. _Koneko-chan's so adorable too!_

This and his other perverted thoughts ran rampant now that he knew Koneko wasn't in danger of dying.

"Hai! Buchou! I will gladly do this for you!" He exclaimed with a massive grin.

Rias returned the smile, albeit getting the feeling that Issei was most likely thinking about something perverted.

 _Maybe it would've been better if someone else did this, but there's no other choice. And besides, Issei has proven that he can be serious when he needs to be, and I doubt he'll try anything after yesterday…_ She reasoned, having the utmost faith in her servants.

"Well then, I'll be off now." She took one last look at him as a magic circle appeared underneath her feet. "See you later, Issei, and remember! Don't do anything perverted!"

* * *

 _Don't do anything perverted, she said. But how can I do anything at all in this situation?_

Issei grumbled miserably to himself as he lay on the couch opposite of Koneko. It had been a while since Rias had left them, and all Issei accomplished since then was fetch blankets whenever the younger devil became too cold and started shivering. He wondered how he thought this would be a good idea in any scenario. Of course, he was hoping to brag about taking care of the school's mascot to all the male students, but at this rate all he could brag about was his ability to lay on couches for long periods of time.

 _I don't know whether to be happy or sad that she's asleep,_ he gazed bemusedly at her slumbering face. _So bored… but if she was awake we probably wouldn't talk much anyway…_ his eyes suddenly lit up at an outstanding thought. _I know! I can replay my saved videos of Buchou's breasts!_

A perverted grin soon spread over his face as he resorted to his last form of exclusive entertainment. His mouth began to water and his hands even took up their iconic positions, that is to say, reaching up and grasping for the imaginary boobs in his head as if they were the real deal. In his mind he became the Harem King he always desired to be. To anyone else, he looked like an absolute idiot.

Unbeknownst to him that is exactly what a pair of hazelnut eyes thought as soon as they awakened.

"... being stared at by your idiotic and lecherous face makes me feel uncomfortable."

A quiet yet monotone voice broke Issei out of his short fantasy as he realized that Koneko had finally woken up. His surprise soon turned into the slightest of embarrassment as he realized he was unknowingly staring at her during his fantasy.

"O-oh Koneko-chan! Are you feeling any better?" He inquired, eager to change to a topic that wouldn't result in him getting a beating.

"No."

"Well, is there anything I can get for you?"

"... water."

Issei already resigned himself to the fact that he probably wasn't gonna get more than a word from her, but nonetheless went fetch a glass of water.

"Here ya go," he said, placing the glass on the table and taking his seat back in front of the devil.

Koneko muttered a brief and unemotional "thank you" before sitting upright and taking the glass into her hands. Even from that, Issei could see just how weaker the younger devil was due to her sickness. It was as if every movement seemed to cause her fatigue.

 _Buchou said that all I had to do was keep her temperature up right? And that will cure her sickness? Even so, it feels weird seeing Koneko-chan like this..._

"... I-Issei-senpai…"

Her voice broke him out of his thoughts.

Issei looked up and noticed Koneko's widened eyes staring at him, immediately putting him on guard. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"...I...I," Koneko started but immediately had to bring her hands to her mouth. Issei realized what she meant after he heard the faint sounds of gagging.

 _She's gonna puke!_ With that thought he instantly scrambled to his feet and brought over the nearest garbage can. No sooner had he done so had Koneko released her stomach contents into the bin, holding onto the waste basket as if it were her only lifeline. Issei looked apologetically at the girl. After about minute of this, she finally released her grip and heaved a heavy gasp. The act seemingly left her devoid of all energy as she slumped sideways against the couch cushions taking in shallow breaths.

Issei gently rubbed Koneko's back, hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea. Surprisingly however, she hardly reacted at all. Issei moved to face her head on and noticed the anguished look on his junior's face.

"H-hey Koneko-chan! Are you alright?"

"..."

Quickly bringing his other hand up, Issei felt the sick devil's forehead, though instantly recoiling at the touch from how cold it was. In fact, Koneko's whole body seemed to be getting colder.

 _Gah! I've got to do something!_ Issei frivolously pulled the blankets back up to cover the girl, but he soon realized that its remaining heat wouldn't be able to make up for the difference..

 _Think Issei! Think! Something hot!_ His mind filled up with pictures of breasts, _No! This isn't the time to be perverted! Let's see, hot towels, hot water, hot girls, hot… baths! Yes! A hot bath should work!_

With that, Issei made his way to the bathroom and began preparing a hot bath. As soon as it was ready, Issei shut off the water and went back to the main room.

"Koneko-chan!" He kneeled in front of the unresponsive girl and tested her temperature again.

 _She's even colder now!_

Without wasting a moment, Issei picked Koneko up in his arms and carried her quickly to the bathroom. Upon arriving however, he realized something…

 _I'm gonna have to strip her naked!_ His nose instantly started bleeding. With anyone else and in any other case, Issei would've been ecstatic at this opportunity, but with an inhumanly strong girl that didn't particularly like him... you could see why he wasn't so thrilled anymore.

 _She'll actually kill me this time!_ He realized with wide eyes. But one look at his teammate's pained expression was enough to make him understand that this was serious.

… _sorry, Koneko-chan, but it's for your own good! I'll make it quick and hopefully it makes you feel better that I didn't use Dress Break..._

He steeled himself, calming his racing heart before he began undressing the girl.

First he unbuttoned her corset as well as her white shirt, proceeding to take both off one at a time. Those, along with her skirt, were mentally as well as physically the easiest to take off. Issei gently laid the garments aside, praying to the devil gods that Koneko didn't wake up yet.

To that point, Issei had done his best to keep his eyes off the girl's body, for fear that she might wake up and see him. Once he set aside her main clothes however, he couldn't help but sneak a peek. His gaze could no longer avert itself as he caught sight of the girl's bra and panties, both of which made him gasp in surprise. Blood, likewise began dripping from his nose.

 _K-K-Kitten panties! Koneko-chann! I never thought you'd be the type to wear something like this!_ He thought, fully taking in the view.

It soon occurred to him that he would also have to take off said panties as well as bra, something that filled him with great happiness and anxiety at the same time. She would've already sent him to the Underworld and beyond for staring at her body this much. For him to not only undress her thus far, but to take off her bra and panties as well...

 _I have to do this, for Koneko-chan!_ he braced himself, _Oh Great Satans, Gods, hell even Fallen Angels! Please don't let her wake up just yet!_

His hands trembled as he unhooked the bra straps and plucked them off her body. The girl's panties also came off without so much as a hitch. Once the two garments had been placed on the counter, Issei breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright, now let's get you into that bath." He carefully picked up the smaller devil and slowly lowered her into the bathtub so that only her head was above water.

Issei let out an even larger sigh of relief now that all was said and done. "Jeez, I thought I'd be having a much better day looking after a cute girl, but so far it's been pretty stressful." He said slumping over onto the floor.

 _Well, at least Buchou might reward me later for taking care of her,_ he hoped. Now all he had to do was wait for the cat-like devil to reawaken, something he wasn't all too ecstatic to do. The chances of her being angry at him were astronomically high of course, but Issei felt as though he had a good reason for doing what he did and the duty to tell her that.

 _Oh that's right! I haven't finished replaying my HD video on Buchou's breasts!_ He remembered, happy at the fact that he now had something to do.

As if detecting his perverted thoughts, Koneko slowly opened her eyes and took note of the situation she was in. A hot bath, delightful smells, plenty of bubbles, no clothes… and a perverted looking Issei staring off into space nearby.

Her face reddened as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"... p-pervert!" She hissed, covering her upper body with her hands whilst staring daggers into his soul.

"Wha-Oh Koneko-chan!" Issei laughed nervously, a little spooked by the voice, "I uh, see you've woken up!"

 _Oh this is really bad…_ he thought when Koneko didn't seem to find the situation as awkwardly humorous as he did. His body even jumped slightly in fright when he saw her form a fist.

"Ah-ah sorry! I would've asked you for permission first but you were unconscious and your temperature was dropping! I couldn't do anything else, sorry! I know you probably don't believe me, but..." he pleaded with her in desperation.

Koneko however was somewhat shocked by his abrupt apology. … _wait… he's apologizing? But… isn't he supposed to be performing lecherous acts?_ She questioned how the teen could just sit idly by in this situation. Wasn't he the embodiment of indecency itself? Of course, he was still staring at her which might've counted. She contemplated knocking out the boy right then and there, but just one look at her hand however annulled that thought

… _my body… I'm so weak… can't move._

She slowly peered back up at the perverted devil who was still sprouting overemotional apologies.

"Sorry! I didn't use Dress Break cause I knew that'd make you mad haha! And I tried my best to make things more relaxing for you, which is what the bubble bath was for if you were wondering, and…"

Koneko shut her eyes and turned away from him.

"... Issei-senpai…" she began, so quiet it was almost inaudible, "... please… don't look."

The words immediately froze Issei for a moment. He slowly turned his eyes back to rest on the sick devil, who he was surprised to find was turned away from him, red faced. The way she timidly held herself revealing how weak she was, almost vulnerable even.

 _Koneko-chan…_ his surprise was evident. He'd never seen the little devil so ashamed of anything before. She was always so calm and collected, capable of handling anything that was thrown at her. And yet now, seeing her like this...

"... h-hai…" he muttered quietly before turning his body to face away from her.

A silence enveloped the two, neither one knowing what to say to the other.

… _he's not doing anything perverted… and he's taking care of me on his own…_ Koneko thought after calming down a bit. But how was this possible? Wasn't he always after Rias' and Akeno's breasts and butts? How did any of his actions just now make sense? Her thoughts recalled the few times she had spent in his company, and she realized that for the most part, he was rather kind towards her. When she and Kiba helped him save Asia from fallen angels. When she trained him to compete in the Rating Game, and afterwards even fighting alongside him against Raiser's group.

 _That's right… he was really angry after I got knocked out..._

She slowly turned to look towards him to find any chances that he might be peeking, but was even more surprised when she found he wasn't.

 _Issei-senpai..._

Koneko finally spoke the words eating away at her, "... Issei-senpai… thank you."

Issei jumped at the sudden voice but managed to remain seated, a confused look dawning on his face.

"Eh? Thank you? What for?"

"Taking care of me… even though you didn't have to."

"What do you mean didn't have to?" He asked rhetorically, beaming a bit with pride, "I can't let my cute little junior-class member get sick and do nothing!" he laughed. "And besides, I should be apologizing to you for… y'know… stripping you naked."

Koneko was glad that the hot water caused her face to flush red, though her eye twitched at Issei's rather indecent word choices. She let out a few harsh coughs before continuing.

"Still, thank you," she chose to ignore his last comment, instead deciding to focus on a warming, comfortable feeling enveloped within chest, "Issei-senpai… might not be all bad…" she smiled, "a bit perverted, but still nice..."

Issei was dumbfounded by this, _D-did Koneko-chan just compliment me?!_ he wondered disbelievingly.

He decided not to dwell on the topic, instead choosing to be content with the fact that his junior finally seemed to be at ease.

"A-ara… Koneko-chan, are you feeling better now?"

Koneko let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding for so long, finally relaxing herself.

"... yes."

Issei sighed in relief. He wondered how and why Koneko was talking to him more after all that he'd done to her, but no matter what not a single thought stayed put in his conscious. Was it because of the strange feeling he had when he spoke to her? Or was it from his emotions clouding his thoughts? Deciding one of them to be the case, he decided to go for a walk to clear his head.

"Well, that's good. Say, how about I go make some tea for after you're finished?" he offered, standing back up.

Koneko was confused yet surprised when she felt a bit sad at the aspect of Issei leaving her alone. But she also knew it would probably be out of place for her to decline his offer. Even if she didn't want him to go just yet...

"... yes, I'd like that."

* * *

"K-Koneko-chan, do you need any help?" Issei asked standing in front of the bathroom door.

"... I'm fine," came the short reply.

Issei peered at the clock. It had been approximately an hour since Koneko started her bath, and twenty minutes since he left her. As he promised, Issei prepared tea for the two and was just waiting for his junior devil to come out. All the while wondering how the younger devil could still bear his presence.

 _Geez, she's taking a long time to finish… maybe I should go in to make sure she's okay…_ he wondered.

At that moment the door crept open, revealing Koneko who was now dressed back in her Kuoh Academy uniform. Her right hand hung onto the door for support while her left hand was placed against her forehead.

Issei, seeing this, grew concerned.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, moving closer.

"... my head, it feels dizzy…" she mumbled before taking a few steps forward. Her senses were unable to follow onto this however, causing her to become disoriented and fall forward.

"Koneko-chan!" Issei instantly moved to catch his junior by her shoulders. He quickly lifted her up in his arms and sat down on the couch with her in his lap.

He placed a hand against her forehead.

 _She's so cold, again?!_

"Here," he reached forward and retrieved a cup of tea from the table, raising it to Koneko's mouth. "Drink this, it'll help warm you back up."

Issei extended his arm, helping her sit up-right against it and afterwards gently placing the brim of the cup at her mouth. She quietly sipped from it, regaining a slight bit of warmth in the process.

An abrupt coughing fit caused Issei to pull the cup away.

"Ahah well, at least you're not throwing up anymore, I guess," he pointed out as he rubbed her back.

"... I hate being sick…" she grumbled in an annoyed yet cute manner, unexpectedly causing Issei's heart to perform a little jump.

"Oh… you should get some rest okay? You'll feel better in the morning," He stood up so he could let Koneko lay down properly. That is, until a pair of hands, weakly clinging onto his shirt stopped him.

Issei looked down at the girl in surprise. Koneko had a saddened expression on her face, her pleading eyes conveying a message that he knew she wouldn't ever say aloud.

"... alright, i'll stay with you if you want," he conceded contently, laying back down beside his sick junior and pulling the blankets up to envelope the two in its warmth.

Koneko unexpectedly even began to wrap her arms around his chest much to his astonishment. The reason for this however, soon dawned on him as he jolted a bit from the absolutely freezing touch of the girl's hands.

Koneko pulled herself closer to him, melting in the warmth that radiated from his body. A small smile graced her lips.

Issei blushed at the cat-devil's sudden show of affection. With nowhere else to place his own hands, Issei moved them under his head intending to use them as a pillow. This, however, induced a sharp pain as his hand brushed against the spot he'd been injured the day before.

Koneko noticed this and frowned.

"... Issei-senpai, sorry, for what I did to you yesterday," she admitted sincerely with regret. She turned her face away from him in remorse. "... I was… a bit harsh. Are you… mad at me?"

Koneko looked to the side, allowing her shoulders to drop slightly. She fully understood and was even willing to accept the fact that Issei felt resentful towards her for causing him undue harm. He hadn't ever done anything against her and even went out of his way to care for her while she was sick, and yet she was constantly mocking him and putting him down. She had realized that now.

The feeling of a soft hand cupping her cheek suddenly brought her back out of her stupor.

"Eheh... don't worry about it. I… sorta deserved it anyway," Issei grinned while also looking away, too embarrassed to make eye contact with the girl. "And besides, I could never be mad at you, Koneko-chan! You're too cute for me to do that."

"Ah… I'm glad," Koneko blushed, though it went unforeseen by Issei. A smile soon sprouted on her face. "You know… you're not that bad, senpai…"

Hearing the unmistakable compliment this time, Issei instantly perked up. He tilted his head downwards, but all he was met with was a cute, sleeping devil. A serene purr escaped her lips, catching him off guard and causing his heart to perform another jump from how adorable it was. His hand rose to pet her gently atop her head, eliciting another satisfied purr and enticing the girl to nuzzle closer into the warm embrace.

And yet, even from this, no perverted or lecherous thoughts were on his mind like there should've been. He had no desire to perform any indecent act at all. But in its place, what he did feel was a powerful desire to protect the devil whom he'd been tasked with taking care of. To make sure she recovered safely and take care of her if need be.

Issei slowly rested his arms around the sleeping Koneko as well. Sighing in content, he too shut his eyes and soon fell asleep beside her.

* * *

"I wonder what Issei-kun's been up to all day without any breasts to enjoy. He must've been soo bored."

"I left him to take care of Koneko-chan while everyone was out. She's sick with some kind of devil's disease that I think might've been from yesterday's stray devil." Rias replied to her queen in command.

"Oh, really? Poor Koneko-chan, I hope she feels better soon."

"Aha… I don't think leaving those two together was the best decision, Buchou."

Akeno and Kiba both voiced their thoughts on the matter as the group arrived at the old school building.

Rias sighed, "yes, Koneko-chan does seem to despise Issei's perverted nature, but everyone was away and I had few other choices."

"I hope Issei-san and Koneko-chan are okay!" Asia spoke out, knowing that the previous day's events likely didn't help the two's relationship.

"Asia-chan, if anything happened i'm going to need you to heal them both back up."

"Hai Buchou!"

The group braced themselves as Rias opened the door, expecting complete and utter chaos.

...CREEK…

"Oh my~…"

Consecutive gasps were released as everyone peered into the room.

Contrary to what they expected, the furniture and walls hadn't been destroyed and neither devil was knocked out on the ground. Nor could any heated arguments be heard from inside the placid room. Instead, both lay sound asleep on a single couch. Issei with his arms protectively placed around Koneko, and Koneko snuggling comfortably against his shirt.

And both with happy, content smiles on their faces.


	3. Epilogue

Here's the last bit of the story! It's been a fun write everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, unfortunately

* * *

"Issei-kun, Koneko-chan," a male voice called, rousing the former out of his sleep. "Wake up guys, it's almost time for school to start."

 _What ?... Is that…_

"Kiba?! What are you doing in my hou-!" Issei yelled wondering why his male club member was at his house, or even waking him up for that matter! That is, until he looked down and saw the pair of arms encircling him.

"K-K-K-Koneko-chan?!"

His abruptly loud voice instantly woke up the younger devil, whose eyes widened at her intimate predicament.

"P-Pervert!" Koneko instinctively threw a fist forward, smacking the teen boy's chest and propelling him into his own indent in the opposite wall.

"Ah! Issei-san is awake!" Asia exclaimed having just opened the door before Issei was blasted full-force across the room. "Eh? Issei-san!" She frantically cried, making her way over to where the boy was laying with stars circling his head.

"Ara-ara, Koneko-chan, I never knew you were so romantic!" Akeno chuckled at the flustered girl, also entering the room and making her way over to Issei.

 _Romantic?! What does she mean? What happened…?_ Koneko wondered, her face a bashful shade of red. Suddenly, the previous day's events returned to her in full. Her eyes widened as she looked over at Issei.

 _That's right… he…_

"Issei-san! I missed you so much!" Asia cried as she hugged Issei's comatose face with her chest. "H-H-Hey, do you mind if we… sleep like that tonight?"

"Wait a minute! I'm sleeping with Issei-kun today!" Akeno added zealously, also hugging Issei with her chest.

"You two!" Rias interrupted, briskly walking over to them. "If anyone is sleeping with Issei today, it's me!"

"Owoh whut's goihing onnnn?" the semi-conscious teen questioned comically.

"I'm sleeping with Issei today!"

"No! I am!"

Being nearly knocked out, Issei didn't understand anything that was happening to him except for the fact that he was being attacked by a big booby monster. His half-lidded eyes gleamed pervertedly.

"Ohooh! I'hve been blehssed py the gods op OPPAIIII!"

"Ehehe…" Kiba laughed awkwardly at the amusing scene. Soon after, Koneko joined him at his side.

"... you're the worst…" Koneko muttered plainly before a soft hearted smile appeared on her face.

"...well… maybe not _the_ worst…"

* * *

Well that's the end to this one-shot, which was surprisingly longer than I thought it would be. Anyway, if you liked it, great, if not, alright. Either way, thanks for reading and farewell!


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